Deep Dive from The Japan Times

Brad Glosserman talks about where the country could and should be doing better. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.

The ad at the top of the episode was paid for and sponsored by Democrats Abroad Japan, a volunteer organization to help Americans overseas register to vote. They are having their primary right now and you can cast a remote ballot until March 10, 2020 at democratsabroad.org/primary

Visit The JT's dedicated COVID-19 site for all the latest updates on the coronavirus situation from around Japan: http://jtimes.jp/covid19

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Read more: 

COVID-19 crisis could get much worse (Brad Glosserman, The Japan Times)

Abe to hasten legal preparations for declaring state of emergency over COVID-19 (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times)

'What should I do?': Japanese mothers struggle to cope after virus shut schools (Mari Yamaguchi, AP)

With the coronavirus canceling classes, what are English teachers to do? (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times)

Abe uses news conference to battle criticism — and coronavirus (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times)

'Just Cancel it!' trending hard as coronavirus gets Olympic push from '88 anime 'Akira' (Bloomberg)

How far can Japan go to curb the coronavirus outbreak? Not as far as you may think (Tomohiro Osaki, The Japan Times)

Photo by AP/Jae C. Hong

Today we speak with  Hilmneh Tegegn Tesfaw, who for the last 11 years has battled Japan’s immigration system as he’s tried to claim asylum and earn refugee status. We hear about his love for the country, his troubles with immigration officials, where he thinks Japan's asylum system is heading and his longing to be reunited with his family. Interview by Jesse Chase-Lubitz, hosted by Oscar Boyd.

Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out: jtimes.jp/deepdivesub.

Read/see more: 

Japanese society warms to asylum-seekers despite the government's cold shoulder (Jesse Chase-Lubitz, The Japan Times)

Asylum-seekers in Japan are stuck in bureaucratic limbo (Philip Brasor, The Japan Times)

Japan's refugee-screening system sets high bar (Chisato Tanaka, The Japan Times)

Swe Myanmar: Sharing the flavors of home in Tokyo's 'Little Yangon' (The Japan Times) 

Refugee Assistance Headquarters Japan (RHQ)

Japan Association for Refugees (JAR)

Photo by Jesse Chase-Lubitz

As the J. League season kicks off, Japan Times soccer (*cough* football) correspondent Dan Orlowitz tells us what makes the Japanese game so exciting to watch and what we can expect from the upcoming season. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.

Read more:
• Dan Orlowitz' season preview: Squads, not stars, could define J. League's 2020 season

• The Japan Times' reporting on the J. League
• Articles by Dan Orlowitz
• Andres Iniesta says he hopes to finish playing career in Japan
• Yokohama FC's Kazuyoshi Miura receives contract extension

Photo by Dan Orlowitz

Japan Times staff reporter Ryusei Takahashi has talked to passengers about their experiences on the ship. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.

Correction: At 13:15 we discuss a story by the New York Post about two passengers who had wine delivered by done. It turned out to be a hoax.

Read/hear more:
• Coronavirus Outbreak Updates live blog (The Japan Times)
• 44 more on Diamond Princess cruise ship test positive for COVID-19 (The Japan Times)
• Cabin fever on the Diamond Princess: Inside the virus-hit cruise ship off Japan (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times)
• Japan faces COVID-19 test kit shortage as infections on ship rise (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times)• Questions raised over protective gear as Japan quarantine officer gets COVID-19 (The Japan Times)
• Episode 37: Japan and the new coronavirus — what we know so far (Deep Dive)

Photo by AFP-JIJI

We pulled Japan Times reporter Satoshi Sugiyama out of the Prime Minister's office where he's covering the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus to give us an update on the situation in Japan so far. Hosted by Oscar Boyd for The Japan Times.

Read more:
• Japan to step up coronavirus action as Abe takes flak for response (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times)• Virus poses stark challenges to Abe's tourism goals as Tokyo Olympics loom (Reiji Yoshida, The Japan Times)
• Novel coronavirus advice for the the public (World Health Organization)
• Japan succeeds in isolating Wuhan coronavirus in step toward vaccine and test kit (The Japan Times)
• Three Japanese returnees from Wuhan test positive for new coronavirus (The Japan Times)
• Chinese tourists finding they are no longer welcome as fear over coronavirus takes hold (The Japan Times)

Photo by AP

Staff writer Alex Martin explains how this shift is playing out in the small town of Otama. Hosted by Oscar Boyd for The Japan Times.

We are looking to hear your audio from all around Japan to include in future episodes of Deep Dive, be it local festivals, waves lapping against rugged beaches or interesting happenings around your neighborhood. Send 1 to 2 minutes of audio to [email protected] with a short description of who you are, and where, when and why you recorded the clip.

This podcast is part of The Japan Times' series on the climate crisis. Read the full articles:
• Redefining Japan's energy needs (Alex Martin)
• Tackling climate issues is key to the next decade (Masami Ito)
• Emergency on Japan's lucky island (Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Oscar Boyd)
• Throwaway society: Rejecting a life consumed by plastic (Andrew McKirdy)

Read/see/hear more:
•  Why aren't more young people fighting climate change in Japan? (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times)
• Living in Japan during a time of climate crisis (Jesse Chase-Lubitz, The Japan Times)
• Ambitious Zero Emission Tokyo plan wins praise, but begs for action (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times)
• 'Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy' spells out capital's plan to take on global climate crisis (Oscar Boyd, The Japan Times)
• Episode 35: Japan's first climate emergency
• Episode 31: The youth climate movement in Japan is doing better than you think (Deep Dive)• Episode 15: Japan — climate change leader or lagger? (Deep Dive)

This podcast is part of The Japan Times' series on the climate crisis. Read the full articles:

Emergency on Japan's lucky island (Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Oscar Boyd)

Throwaway society: Rejecting a life consumed by plastic (Andrew McKirdy)

Why aren't more young people fighting climate change in Japan? (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times)

Living in Japan during a time of climate crisis (Jesse Chase-Lubitz, The Japan Times)

'Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy' spells out capital's plan to take on global climate crisis (Oscar Boyd, The Japan Times)

Episode 31: The youth climate movement in Japan is doing better than you think (Deep Dive)

Episode 15: Japan — climate change leader or lagger? (Deep Dive)

Thank you to Trevor West for acting as our guide around Iki.

JT staff writer Satoshi Sugiyama discusses how Ghosn managed that escape as well as his first public press conference since he was first arrested in November 2018. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.

Since recording this podcast, Lebanon has announced that Carlos Ghosn has been banned from leaving the country.

Read/see/hear more:
• Our previous podcast on Carlos Ghosn: The extraordinary fall of Carlos Ghosn
• The Japan Times' reporting on Carlos Ghosn
• Satoshi Sugiyama's reporting for The Japan Times
• Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn holds a news conference after escape to Lebanon (CNBC, YouTube)

Photo by AP

Japan Times contributor Julia Bergin (@juliabergin1) and editor Shaun McKenna (@jt_sloosh) join Oscar Boyd (@omhboyd) for a holiday special full of KFC, mulled wine and Christmas cheer.

Read/see/hear more:
• Japan's first Christmas (Joji Sakurai, The Japan Times)
• Julia Bergin on Deep Dive episode 30: #StandwiththePooh — The Hong Kong protesters in Japan
• Shaun McKenna on Deep Dive episode 20: Fear and loathing on Mount Fuji
• The little-known legend of Jesus in Japan (Smithsonian Magazine)
• Why Japan celebrates Christmas with KFC (BBC)

What has allowed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stay in office for such a long time?

Shinzo Abe is now Japan's longest serving prime minister, and is approaching his 3,000th day in office. The Japan Times politics reporter Sakura Murakami discusses this remarkable run and what it is about Abe that's kept him in power. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.

Read/see/hear more:

Abe becomes Japan's longest-serving prime minister (Sakura Murakami, The Japan Times)

Diet deliberations slow as opposition hounds government over cherry blossom-viewing scandal (Sakura Murakami, The Japan Times

In diplomatic debut, new environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi pledges to make action on climate change 'sexy' (The Japan Times)

The legacy of The Tokyo Riots (Deep Dive podcast)

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Photo by AFP-JIJI